Cheyenne, WY Hail Storm – July 2026

A severe hail storm moved through the Cheyenne, WY metro on July 8, 2026, producing 2.23-inch stones and a series of radar-detected hail signatures. The event ran from mid-afternoon into the early evening and generated multiple NWS alerts and one spotter-verified surface report.

What Happened

NWS products issued 16 separate alerts for the Cheyenne area between 3:09 PM MDT and 9:09 PM MDT on July 8. Dual-polarization radar detected repeated hail signatures across the metro from mid-afternoon into the evening. Early radar returns appeared near the southwest metro around 3:09 PM MDT, followed by stronger returns in the late afternoon period centered near west Cheyenne and the Hawk Springs corridor between about 4:15 PM and 5:00 PM MDT. Additional, smaller radar-detected returns persisted into early evening, and two later alerts at 7:12 PM MDT and 9:09 PM MDT were issued as NWS warning area notices without corresponding radar-derived hail size calls.

A delayed, spotter-verified public report was filed at 4:25 PM MDT (22:25 UTC) that described quarter-sized hail 9 miles west and 3 miles north of Hawk Springs. That field report provides surface confirmation for at least one portion of the storm track. Radar signatures and the sequence of NWS alert areas indicate the storm crossed the Cheyenne metro from southwest to northeast over several hours.

Damage Assessment

Surface impact evidence for this event is limited to the single spotter-verified local storm report near Hawk Springs. No additional public local storm reports were recorded in the supplied field report set. Radar-detected hail returns passed over populated sections of the Cheyenne metro during the late afternoon window noted above, and NWS warning areas covered broad portions of the city at multiple times.

Observed and documented damage in this dataset is confined to the Hawk Springs spotter report. There are no other submitted local storm reports, no public structural damage reports in the provided records, and no additional spotter-verified hail counts in the supplied field data. Where radar-detected hail returns intersect populated blocks in the metro, localized surface impacts remain possible and should be evaluated on a property-by-property basis.

What Contractors Should Know

Inspect properties along the southwest-to-northeast radar track through Cheyenne and the Hawk Springs approach first. Begin with exterior hard surfaces recorded under the stronger late-afternoon radar returns between about 4:15 PM and 5:00 PM MDT. Prioritize visual checks of roofing shingles, exposed HVAC units, vehicle fleets, and metal trim on the west side of structures in neighborhoods that lie beneath the radar track.

Document all findings with dated photos tied to addresses inside the NWS warning area polygons issued that afternoon. For siding and soft materials, photograph impact points against a scale. For roofing, record broken or missing granules and any point impacts near roof edges and equipment mounts. Use the spotter-verified Hawk Springs location as a confirmed surface-check point when routing crews.